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“It will be in the Harper Daily,” Blaze muttered, crying into her hands. “I know it. Musgrave’s going to kill us. Comida’s gone too far. How could they kill those men?”
“You heard the old man,” Amy whispered. The atmosphere was quiet, and the townspeople had moved on to plan for the inevitable fallout, but she and Blaze remained on the tree stumps, unsure of where they could go or what to do. They wanted to go home, but they ran the risk of walking into more horrific plans being detailed, or worse, seeing someone else being tortured or murdered. Paralyzed by disappointment and fear, they found solace only in each other.
“Who would want to kill Robert Willow?” Amy asked in disbelief. “It’s not like he was a huge public figure. Did he even do any speaking to the other communities on behalf of Comida?”
“Very little,” Blaze sighed, putting her head in her hands. “He was more about arming the citizens and making sure that we were protected first. Though Comida is flourishing, we still have our problems.”
“Then who would kill him? Seriously?”
“Maybe there were some back room deals that we didn’t know about. We may never know.”
Amy looked out over the hill and thought carefully. When she stopped trying to turn the world into her own personal playground and decided to think, she could see past the haze. Her mother had once told her that she could become anything that she wanted to be, and that she wouldn’t just tell anyone that, even if Amy was her daughter.
Her mother recognized the facts—that her daughter was gifted, and very bright. If only she learned to stop moving and see the world around her.
“What if...” she said, standing to her feet. “What if...the murderer came from Comida?”
“Of course, they did,” Blaze said. “The murder happened here.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Amy said. “I mean, what if the murderer is actually a citizen? And not from Musgrave or Hearth?”
“Why?” Blaze frowned, standing to her feet.
“Well, um,” Amy said, biting on her fingernails. “You saw the people’s reactions. How crazy they were. They’ve been waiting for this, and anyone that’s been around the adults enough knows it.”
“Yeah? So?”
“Well, you said it yourself. Everyone’s not armed yet. It’s going to take a lot of time, and the tempers are high. Someone might not have wanted to wait.”
“It’s because we weren’t armed that someone might attack us first.”
“True,” Amy said, spitting a fingernail into the grass. “But why so suddenly? Why so brutal? If we’re supposed to fight for our rights against Musgrave, isn’t it smarter to see if they’ll play with us first? Or at least know what kind of weaponry they have if it comes down to a fight. This is messy and desperate.”
“I kind of see what you’re saying,” Blaze said, thinking carefully. “But who would put the community in harm’s way like that? Musgrave will squash us once they find out. There’s no way we’re ready.”
“Unless whoever it is doesn’t care what happens to Comida,” she said, taking a massive breath into her lungs. Once she was done taking in as much air as possible, she shouted at the top of her lungs: “I’M THE ONE THAT KILLED ROBERT WILLOW!”
“What are you doing?!” Blaze shouted at her, pushing her to the side. Amy nearly fell over, but she caught her balance and instinctively pushed Blaze back.
“I know what I’m doing. Leave me alone.”
“No, Amy!’ Blaze said, wrapping her arms around Amy’s. “You’re being stupid.”
“I’ll get to find out who did it, and if I solve this, I’ll be able to leave too.”
“You might not! You’re going to get yourself killed!”
“No, I won’t,” she retorted. “The real killer will reveal himself. He wants the prestige!”
“What are you talking about?” Blaze asked, letting her go.
“Whoever it is, they want to take over in the efforts, I’m sure of it. If they wanted the long game, they would have kept Willow alive, but this...this cries out for attention. They want to fill the void. If I take the blame, it will quell the rage, and that’s not what the murderer wants.”
“This is insane. You might be killed!”
“What does it matter? It’s not like I have a life here in Comida anyways.”
“Amy, there has to be another way.”
“If you come up with one that can squash the mob mentality in the next ten seconds then I’ll listen, otherwise, I’m going with Plan A.”
“It’s too risky.”
“So is the expedition,” Amy said, sticking her tongue out at her friend. “But it’s the only way I can know what else life has to offer—”
Suddenly the outside world grew hazy and started spinning in circles. The last thing that Amy saw before the world went black was the horrified look on Blaze’s face, staring at a malevolent figure behind her.
“NO,” THE PRINTER SAID, leaning on his glass counter. “And my answer won’t change, boy.”
“What do you mean, no,” Tristan scowled. He tried to give the printer an intimidating look, but he couldn’t stop staring down at his beehive-like beard, immaculately braided and interwoven. It was a hairy work of art.
“You said you was from Musgrave, right?” the big man said. “You should know what no means then.”
“The job is simple,” Tristan said. “Hardly an hour’s work.”
“The job ain’t the issue,” the printer chuckled. “It’s the idea behind it.”
“Ferris had to have been in here recently with the same request. You’re the only printer. Where else am I going to go?”
“Not my concern. I’m not going to have you undermining Mr. Muttly’s work. He’s the man with the expedition. You’re just trying to make a dime off the idea.”
“That’s not it. I’m serious about this. I’m trying to form my own crew.”
“Then you’re dumb. Get out my shop before I start passing out my own literature with your face on it.”
“You wouldn’t dare waste the money. You’re too cheap.”
“Get OUT!” the big man roared, and Tristan reluctantly left. How was he going to find a crew if no one knew about the job?
“WE’RE GOING TO PASS,” Mr. Lewis said, smiling widely into Momo’s face. She stared down at him with no expression, so he cleared his throat and stood up to face her directly. He was amazed by how tall she was. It was like he was trying to talk to an ancient tree. “We have to pass, um, due to your condition. I hope you understand.”
Momo looked to her left at the twisting line of people behind her, waiting for their chance to express why they should be chosen to go on Ferris’s grand adventure, and then she looked to the right at the judges, handpicked to vet the candidates. They were finely dressed, with shiny pocket watches, immaculately cut hair and monocles that blinded her when they tilted their head at a favorable angle to the sun. She noticed that they had to have all been from Musgrave, which she found odd, considering no one from Musgrave could possibly be thinking of going out into the wilderness.
“Ma’am, there is a line,” Mr. Lewis flashed her a fake smile. “Can you please step out of the way?” Momo turned her attention back to the little man in front of the big table and wiped the dark hair away from her eyes so that she could see him completely. “Why does my condition disqualify me? I am a Great One. That should be enough.”
“Uh, um...” he glanced over at the judges for help. An elderly fellow with a vest too tight waddled over.
“I am a Great One,” Momo said in a bored tone. “Don’t you need a Great One on your quest?”
“We know who you are,” the judge said. He swallowed hard before proceeding with his thought process. “However, that was a while ago, and though you have proven yourself, it is untested in the field, um, that is, the outside...which wouldn’t be a problem! But, considering the trauma that follows you, we think it is best that you recover first and then reapply...should there be another expedition in the future.”
She leaned in close to his face as if she were someone who lost their glasses but needed to read fine print. “Your records tell you that I have only fought our own. They are false. I have been on the outside.”
“Uhhhhhh,” he stammered for the right words. “But can you prove it?”
“What do you want to know?”
“That’s enough,” a young man laughed, grabbing Momo’s forearms and escorting her to the side of the line. “Please proceed with the rest of the potentials.” Momo stared down at the dark-skinned fellow—an unusual complexion amongst Musgrave’s populace. Still, unless he had stolen the clothes he wore—clothes that were tailored and trimmed precisely to his body’s features—he had to have been a citizen of Musgrave.
“Are we doing okay?” Mr. Lewis asked, rushing over to the young man’s side. “Did your father send you to us?”
“No, no,” he said, letting go of one of Momo’s arms to wave him off. “I am here of my own accord.”
“Ah, okay. Please tell your father that I would like to speak with him sometime.”
“If I am in the mood,” the young man said, his smile fading into a pained smirk. He quickly walked away from the judges’ attention, ushering Momo far away from the line and into the middle of the public square. Momo noticed that the brick under her bare feet was hotter there, and there were fewer trees to find shade under. The fact that this young man had touched her and brought her into the heat was annoying. He hadn’t even noticed that when he grabbed her earlier, she had reached at her hip to unsheathe a sword, only to find there was none there.
Fortunate for his hands.
“I’m Cameron,” the young man said, letting go of her. “I apologize for grabbing you, but I’m well-known around here. I didn’t want the extra attention.”
“Yet, you desired mine,” Momo said, staring at him with listless eyes. “What do you want? A woman’s naked embrace?”
“Oh!” he craned his head back in disgust. “No, no, I’ve had plenty of women, and they all smelled a lot nicer.”
Momo’s hand instinctively reached down at her hip but found nothing there. Fortunate for his tongue.
“Sorry, sorry,” Cameron said, bowing his head. “I don’t mean to be rude. I know who you are...and I know what you can do. I’ve heard the stories. My father makes it his business to acquire information on everyone he can, and he’s passed along the skill to me. When your proposals don’t even get heard, you have to find other ways to succeed.”
Momo blinked once, but otherwise didn’t move. Cameron felt like he was talking to a specter with the way Momo was dressed. Her long, lanky arms, a tattered dress that went down to her ankles, and curtain-like black hair that covered her face like a funeral veil.
“I want you to come with me on an expedition,” Cameron said. “With your skill set, I know I’ll be protected.”
“I was denied,” Momo said.
“Yes, to Landon and Ferris’s expedition, but there is another. My father was in conversation with a business partner and I heard that Tristan Thames plans on making a name for himself. If this is accurate information, it means that we may have a way to beat Ferris at his own game.”
“The only reason I was going to join the expedition was because of Landon,” Momo said. “I am to protect him.”
“Under orders, huh?” Cameron said. “I get it. You’re not used to making your own decisions, but in this world, you’ve got to forge your own path. Otherwise, people will guarantee your destiny lies in the sewers while they reside in the clouds.”
Momo clicked the underside of her mouth with her tongue. This boy talked too much. What was it with boys that talked too much?
“Why should I join this other expedition?” Momo asked.
“It’s a chance to live your life,” Cameron said. “We can still try to find treasure and solve mysteries, but it will be on our terms. Under Ferris, you would be a soldier again. Just another disposable.”
“Or I could stay home.”
“Or that,” Cameron shrugged. “But you already know what’s at home, don’t you? And really, is that what you want? Being lonely? The shakes? The nightmares?”
“They won’t vanish out there either.”
“At home, no, they won’t, because that’s where you’ve been. Out there? Who knows? There could even be a cure. We won’t know until we go.”
Momo acknowledged within that the young man made a couple of good points, and she wondered why he was so adamant about going on the trip. Why would he leave behind a lavish lifestyle and assured success in life?
This is what she wondered for a moment, but then she didn’t care.
“I will think about it,” she decided. “Can we meet Mr. Thames?”
“Of course,” Cameron said. “I was just headed over to him myself.”
